some people at the pier today recommended rooster liver for catching catfish. they said it did really really well, the cats were lovin it, better than chicken liver and stuff. anyone know more about it? they gave me some chicken liver, and it fell off the hook as soon as it hit the water.
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I think they were pulling your leg on that one. Roosters are not processed for meat nor their innards.
If you want you chicken livers to stay on the hook better, freeze them before going fishing and then keep them on ice while you are out there. That helps to keep them firm an they stay on the hook better.
When I am catfishing, I prefer to use a 3/0 Kahle hook. It is just like the Circle hook but has a wider hook gap on it. It also helps to hold the bait better.[cool]
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[black][size 3]Hey Simp,[/size][/black]
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[black][size 3]TubeN2 is correct when he says those folks were giving you the "business" - unless of course they kill their own roosters. They were most likely just using regular chicken livers. [/size][/black]
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[black][size 3]As far as using the chicken innards, they do work well in some circumstances and I do use them on occasion. One of the keys to keeping them on the hook, is to thread them on the hook several times - gently; don't squeeze them any more than you absolutely have to. I seldom have livers fall off the hook when I fish them.[/size][/black]
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[black][size 3]Also, you don't really cast them out like you would worms or cut baits. It is more of a lob or sling than a cast - don't make any unneeded jerking motions with your rod. And you don't want to throw them out very far. Be as gentle as you can when you toss them out. Use them in still water or very slow moving eddies. Since you should not be casting them out very far, you don't need to use much weight when you fish livers - just enough to get the bait down to the bottom. [/size][/black]
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[black][size 3]Kahle (or shiner), and circle hooks work well - those are what I generally use for livers. But, bait holders also work - the barbs on the hook shank can help to keep the liver on your line. Another thing about livers, they are one of the few baits that you can bury the point of the hook in and still catch the catfish.[/size][/black]
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[black][size 3]By the way, if you live by a kill plant, turkey livers are excellent ! But, don't expect to pick those up at your local grocery store.[/size][/black]
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thanks guys, i wanted to do some research and get some opinions on that one, because i had never heard of it. I ACTUALLY CAUGHT A FISH. no bigger than my hand, but at least i caught something. had another one hooked but it freed itself before i got it up on the pier. ive gone fishing every night this week, only caught 1 fish...my luck sucks!
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Now you know that is why they call it "Fishing" and not "Catching".[laugh]
It takes time, patience and having your bait in the right place at the right time. Just like it was mentioned, look for the slower parts of the river. If you are in a pond, just set your line out in a few feet of water. The Catfish will roam around at night and search out the strongest scent.[cool]
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try a liver hook. Also it is sold as a dough bait hook. Who knows kill a rooster and use the liver. I use my own special dough bait for catching the catfish. Catfish are a blast. If you have the money to spend on livers get fat head minnows instead. Use at least a medium fat head minnow. Hook the minnow through the eyes and then put the point into its side or belly. Put a sinker on it and sink it to the bottom and drag it along the bottom slowly and just keep casting it out and dragging it on the bottom. I never caught anything on chicken liver. I know it is supposed to work but I have had no luck with it. Minnows are my favorite bait, then my dough bait, and then night crawlers. I use the dough bait as it is cheap enough to make and I can make lots of it. I got a 27 inch one on my dough bait and a 30 inch one on a fat head minnow. My dough bait is still in the process of being perfected. It catches catfish but I am still working on them. I have solved the problem of using dirt to make it less sticky with quaker oats. Now it does not stick to my hands and is a much cleaner bait to use. My bait works for blue gills also. It drove them into a feeding frenzy last night when I was using it on a bobber rig. It was something to do while I waited for the evening to set in.It stays on the hook pretty good. I can drag it on the bottom and use just a plain fishing hook. No dough bait hook needed. Your best bet is early evening to catch a catfish. I will be selling the dough bait on ebay soon I just want to perfect it. I want to catch a few catfish on the bait with oats added just to make sure it does not mess up the recipe. It works with dirt I have caught a few but I want to make sure the oats added do not affect the performance. I probably will make it available for purchase by the end of the week on ebay. I don't think it will affect the performance.
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i would get minnows, but i dont know of a plain tackle shop around my area. we've got a couple of sporting goods stores, but they just have nightcrawlers or if im lucky, crickets. area minnows a lil fish that can be caught just about anywhere? or just inc certain areas
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I dont have a good tackle store near me, so I just go down the street to the pet store, its mainly a tropical fish place but they have nice minnows there. maybe theres something like that in your area
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thanks, i will certainly give that one a shot.
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You could also buy a minnow trap and bait it with cat or dog food and catch whats local in your lake. Free bait as well.
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yeah i saw a minnow trap in wal mart. i have thought about it, and now i guess im gonna think about it harder. ive spent like 60 bucks on fishing stuff in the past 3 days, out of the 90 i had in my wallet. some little things, and i bought an ugly stik yesterday. i guess ill have to really look into it next time im in wally world. could i stick a piece of dog food on a tiny hook, or would the minnows not bite? i feel retarded asking that one...
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You are truly lucky to only spend 60 buck in 3 days. My sponsor would love to have expenses like that. It actually costs them (all inclusive) around 75 bucks an hour to have me on the water.
You are just getting started and we are all here to help you.[cool]
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hahaha. i wish i were on the water, honestly. fishing from a pier isnt as fun as it would be on a boat. dont the bigger fish of all species usually hang around towards the middle of a body of water where its deeper?
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I wish that was the truth. The fish will go where there is food and where they are comfortable.
They hunt for the most favorable conditions for them and not necessarily for us.[crazy]
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Minnow traps work good but there is only one little problem you have to move them around each time you use them otherwise you will kill the population. Find a crick not a lake as lakes don't have much luck catching them. Usually there are cricks off the lake that you can put them in. Bait it with bread and don't be surprised if you catch a snake. If you see minnows swimming around then drop your trap in and wait. Check it in an hour. You should have enough then. Stick your hook through its eyes then put the barb into the belly or side of the minnow. Make sure the barb sits as close to the minnow as possible and drag it on the bottom.
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yeah, it would be nice eh?
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Hi,
As far as my knowledge goes and also from my little experience, catfish eat everything, and I mean everything.
Hanan
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Welcome to BigFishTackle and thanks for sharing with us.
You are pretty close with your comment. Channel Catfish will eat many different things.
I have caught them on Dough baits, Velveeta Cheese, pieces of hot dog, corn, power bait, bologna, sausage, shrimp, anchovy, sardine and even pieces of squid. That doesn't leave much that they won't eat.
When fishing for Flatheads, they generally prefer live bait.[cool]
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I heard more then a few stories about catfish that cought on really gross baits. Personaly, i dont find any fun in catfishing.
Hanan.
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What kind of fishing do you like?[cool]
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